New Role for ATP P2X1 Receptors in the Control of Neutrophil Apoptosis and Respiratory Burst Activity.

Abstract

P2X receptors are membrane non-selective cation channels that open in response to the binding of extracellular ATP. Seven genes encode P2X receptor subunits (P2X1–7) in vertebrates. Channels form homo- or hetero-multimers of several subunits that are highly permeable to Ca2+. P2X receptors are widely distributed. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to extracellular ATP as a candidate danger signal locally released at the inception of inflammation. One of the most striking features of ATP is its ability to promote P2X7 receptor-mediated massive release of mature IL-1β from LPS-primed mononuclear phagocytes. On neutrophils, ATP rises intracellular Ca2+ concentrations, contributes to degranulation, adhesion, oxidative burst and delays apoptosis, events that may partly depend on the G-protein coupled P2Y2 receptor and on P2X7. In the present work, RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescence experiments reveal that neutrophils also express P2X1 and P2X5 receptor subtypes. A microarray analysis indicates that a 3-hour treatment of human peripheral blood neutrophils with the selective P2X1 and P2X1/5 receptor agonist, a,β-meATP, changes the expression of genes mainly involved in the control of cell fate. Accordingly, this agonist causes an increase of phosphatidylserine exposure on neutrophil membranes, maximally occurring after 3 hours and lasting until 18 hours of culture. In the presence of the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide, a,β -meATP promotes caspase-3-dependent neutrophil apoptosis after 3 hours, which is correlated with highly reduced Fcγ RIII (CD16) membrane expression. In addition, a 1 min pretreatment of neutrophils with a,β -meATP potently increases tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-α )-driven priming (30 min) of the respiratory burst induced by the bacterially derived peptide N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP). Furthermore, a,β -meATP produces L-selectin (CD62L) shedding by its own and in an additive manner with TNF-α . This agonist also induces rapid and reversible phosphorylation of the survival kinases ERK (starting after 2 min) and Akt (15 min) as well as phosphorylation and degradation (after 2 min) of I-κ Bα , an inhibitor of the anti-apoptotic transcription factor NF-κ B. Hence, neutrophil P2X1 receptors might have a dual role in inflammation; they would both contribute to neutrophil activation and promote cell death of neutrophils that have reached the end of their useful life span. Activation of P2X1 receptors by extracellular ATP may thus represent novel regulatory mechanisms that govern neutrophil function.